Holly Cl'Oz wrote:I much prefer an artificial tree. My other half however insists on a real tree every year. I find them such a pain to clean up after and not worth the hassle. Some artificial trees look really great but I can't convince him.

Make him go alone and find the perfect tree. Then don't water it, don't clean up after it, and don't help him center it so that it's straight. Once he sees what a giant pain in the tail it is for a real tree, he'll cave in after Christmas and buy an artificial tree when their on deep discount and the store's want to get rid of their stock for lawnmower season.

BTW: The pre-lit trees are great. My parent's bought one, and you just plug in the lights as you set up the branches. Nothing like two birds with one stone.

Wolf, if I tried that, our house would probably catch on fire. Other half is pretty good about watering it though. Just not cleaning up the needles and then hauling that big thing out after Christmas.

I like both, real are hard to keep up, but artifical doesn't have the smell or the coolness about it. I have a cat that is why we us fake, she got sick last time we use a real one? Crazy cat, but you got to love her!!!!

I love real ones but I have a lab. he would tear it up. Even though he does the same with our fake tree. I've come home many times last year with the tree laying on the floor with the ordaments all over the place. And to tell you the truth I realy like our fake it is up all year in our storage room. no need to take it apart!

Oh my goodness Pete, that IS a gorgeous tree!! How many years have you been collecting ornaments?? It looked like a fir tree of some sort too-just beautiful!...

I think we're going real this year, I've wanted to for so long--I don't mind the extra maintenance and they make the house smell SO wonderful and give the holidays such a geniune feeling...we've had an artificial tree for the past 5 or 6 years and bless it's heart. It's on its last leg. There are so many limbs coming loose and sticking out funny. Last year was such a challenge to get it turned right where the lame limbs were propped against the wall, and I had to strategically hang ornaments to help hold other limbs together...y'all get the point. It'd be hazardous to get that thing out again.

Half the fun of an old "arti" tree is to patch it up squeeze just one more yearout it's arbor impersonation lifespan. This is where your Halloween Haunter's Training, (HHT) comes into play. You know the drill... MONO FILAMENT Fishing Line used to support the lower branches.